Morning Star
by Alicabell
Summary: Morning Star is a story about Alice's past. I've written as Alice in the asylum and will carry on until Twilight starts : I'm really bad at summaries..haha
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: Life**

**Mary Alice Brandon**

I was laying on my lumpy old bed, in the darkness. Always the darkness. Was life always so dark? If I tried really hard, I could remember some light...a heat on my skin, as the light hit me. I could remember a breeze... and smells... There was nothing now. Just darkness. The more I tried to remember, the more confusing it became. I vaguely recalled voices, not like the ones I heard now, of the people in the dark place who scare me, but of people I loved. I remember a woman's voice, chiding me for something that was fuzzy and unclear in my memory. A scent registered somewhere in my thoughts, a floral scent...from when the woman embraced me. I remember hearing the woman's voice again, but this time with a nervous, panicky edge. I was dragged back to the present by a sound nearby. A door opened.

"Time for your treatment, honey," a woman said. Her voice was worn, and sounded like that of someone who had lived a hard life, but I couldn't match that voice to a face. I never saw faces...I never saw anything really. There was a dull light now, but not enough to fully penetrate the darkness. I closed my eyes against the faint brightness. I felt her rough hands against my skin as she fussed around me, attaching things, pressing things, moving things. I could hear scrapes and beeps and her heavy, wheezy breathing. I felt a sharp prick on my upper arm...a numbness began to spread around my body, it hurt at first but I lost the feeling in my body. I felt so confused...I couldn't remember anything...my name...where I was...anything. I felt a sudden shock that felt more peculiar than painful...and then...everything was gone.

Some time later, I couldn't be sure how long, time was difficult to measure in my never-ending darkness that I lived in, if you could call it living.... More...existing, I came round. I tried to remember something but failed. I could hear footsteps outside of my dark room...and then a muffled voice. It wasn't the voice of one of the women, who scared me. It was the musical voice of the man...The one who was always kind to me...The strong one, with ice cold, smooth skin, like stone. I heard the quite sound of a door opening.

"Hello, pretty one," he chimed, in a low, gentle voice. "How are you feeling?"

"I can't remember...." I began, my voice sounding high and croaky.

"I know, sweetheart, I know." His voice sounded pained.

We sat in the darkness, as the man hummed a pretty tune. It was relaxing and the prettiest thing I'd ever heard! Just then I got a terrible feeling. A thought that someone would kill me...a man. What a strange thought! But I felt it was true, in my gut and very heart. I should keep it secret...It was these thoughts of what I felt would happen that brought the 'treatments' more often. It was their fault I even had to have the treatments...I _shouldn't_ say anything but I just couldn't help it. There was something about the gentle nature and kindness of the man, that willed me to tell him things, willed me to trust him.

"I'm scared..." I croaked.

"Why, Alice? What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

Ahh. Alice. _That_ was my name. I remembered now. I was Alice.

"I have...I have a... feeling that...that someone is going to kill me. A man. I know it sounds silly...but I'm not mad! I don't feel mad....it's just … a feeling..." I ranted. What could I do...he was bound to think I was as mad as the rest of them did.

"He won't touch you, Alice. I promise." He said, his voice determined as he placed a cold hand on my shoulder.

"What? You don't think...I'm mad? There _is_ a man?" I asked, shocked. So he didn't think I was crazy...I was so confused now. I was already confused but this was too much for me to grasp.

"Shh, honey, don't you worry. I'll protect you."

Then a voice came from outside the door. A shrill, female voice.

"George? Are you in there? Alice needs to sleep! She needs to be alone!"

"Coming, Nancy," he sighed.

"Rest, Alice. You are safe." He patted my arm and left. What was going to happen to me? Why did this man want to kill me? Was 'George' just humouring me? Did he really think I was mental? Thoughts were still buzzing in my head as I finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Book 1**

**Chapter 1: Memories**

**George Clarke**

I looked back at the frightened, fragile girl, cowering in the darkness. The darkness didn't affect my perfect sight, she was clear enough to see. Such a pale girl, very pretty. I closed the door behind me and walked to my office, totally ignoring the irritating little nurse, Nancy, who thought the attention I gave Alice was detrimental to her mental health. I shut the door behind me and took my seat behind my desk. Alice was so weak even for a human... I wondered for a moment, who this tracker was... what did this vampire want with Alice? I mean, yes...she does smell...truly delicious... my still scorching thirst was a tell tale sign of that... The thirst brought with it nagging doubts... Should I even risk being so near to Alice? When she smelt so good..and was more fragile than fine bone china? I knew that I could never hurt her... The haunting face of my daughter would always prevent that. Ah, how Alice reminded me of her...so gentle, kind and optimistic. At least...Alice was, when they first brought her in here. With her premonitions and perky attitude. It was all being washed out of her.

I thought of Alice's petrified face, as she thought of the tracker a few minutes previous in her dark cell. I recalled my daughter, Anne's face...That horrific day. I now had a photographic memory of course, which in some ways was helpful, caring for patients and such like, but it also meant I could never forget my past. My blood stained history. My whole ninety-two years of life. Frozen in my thirty-six year old self...to live forever....always plagued by my horrific past... I thought back, to where it all began... I was born in Oakland, California in 1828, and I grew up there. I found my love when I was just nineteen and we were married that year. My love, Mary was only eighteen, a beautiful woman. She was small, with long, curly black hair, and such a warm face. We had a son within a year, but he died a couple of days after birth...of course we were both heartbroken. We tried and tried, but it seemed that we wouldn't have children. And then the miracle happened! In 1849, Mary gave birth to a daughter! We named her Anne and she was the most beautiful thing on this planet. Mary died not long after that, of an infection. It was difficult, especially at first...But it meant that Anne and I became very close. We used to go hiking regularly. The last time we ever went, really stood out to me, with good reason. It was 1864, and Anne was just fifteen years of age. I was walking slightly ahead of her, carrying the heavy bag containing food, water and supplies, when what I believed to be a ghost stepped out of the trees.

He looked as though he must be a ghost...his skin, white as snow, eyes black as coal. He strolled towards me with so much grace it was almost like he was floating. I began to back away, afraid. Why was he walking to me? What did this perfect looking ghost want? And he really was like a marble statue of a Greek god. As he came nearer, my feet rooted to the ground in terror as my bag of supplies crashed to the floor. He grabbed me, his hands like ice against my shoulders. I struggled pointlessly in his vice-like grip. His razor sharp teeth sunk into my neck and then, I could feel the blood draining out of me, and with it my life...fading. The pain in my neck seared and began to spread around my body like fire, taking over my bloodstream. Then the hands vanished, and the blood-sucking ghost was gone. I crumpled to the floor, breathing heavily.

"Father? Where are you? What's going on?" I could her Anne's sweet voice from what seemed like such a distance. "Oh no! No! Father, what's going on? Why are you bleeding? What's happening?" Her voice reduced to sobs. The fire seared through my whole body...The pain lasted for days...I willed someone to kill me...but no one did. I began to hear sounds...and became aware of where I was. As I did...I also became awake of a scorching fire in my throat. It reminded me of being thirsty...I thought of a glass of ice cold water...and the thought was actually repelling. I imagined something warm...and thick to quench my burning thirst. I didn't want water, I wanted blood.

As my craving for blood registered, I began to notice the smells all around me. I could smell something utterly delicious...something that seemed to have my mouth watering...that thing...that I could smell...surely _that_ would quench my thirst? I was willing to do anything to stop this pain. I sat up, eyes still closed and followed the smell, followed my instincts. The pain got worse and worse, as did the craving. I opened my eyes.

"You're okay! I've been so worried! You're better! We can go home now!" A girl's relieved voice stirred a faint memory...But it was difficult...like looking through muddy water...I strained to remember...but then the scent was too much. That instant I dived on the girl, throwing her to the ground. My new, clear eyes registered the look of pure terror on the girls face before I sank my teeth into her slender neck and drained her weak body. It was her scream that did it... The weak human memory I had been trying to recall, finally registered. This fragile girl, was my daughter. My very own Anne. My perky little daughter, always optimistic. I held the body of my gentle-natured child in my new, strong arms. The horror still plain on her face, her body completely drained of blood. What was I?! I was a monster...of the worst kind. A monster who craved blood...Craved blood so much that I was willing to murder my own daughter for it! I looked around, I'm not sure what for, until my eyes fell upon the bag I had carried. It had contained food and drink for us, but now lay empty...My daughter had been surviving on a bag on camping supplies. What kind of father was I? How had I let this happen? And more so...how did I let myself lose control? I wandered the forest for a few years, afraid to go near humans in case I was to lose control again. During that time, I met a few nomadic vampires, who explained the loose ends to me, such as the unchanging – now beautiful and flawless - body, the immortality, the thirst..the sunlight. I couldn't go out in sunlight. Of course not, I was a vampire... though not at all what I expected. The sun wouldn't kill me...like the legends say...it would make me sparkle...Like diamonds....What an interesting twist to the stories! The nomads were every bit as beautiful as that blood-thirsty ghost that had attacked me. My senses felt much stronger, clearer. I could hear and see for miles. I could smell everything, and I was strong. Very strong. Like stone.

When I finally felt strong enough I decided to try and live among humans as it was very lonely in the forest... However in my first day alone I slipped up regularly...I couldn't be trusted and so I returned to the forest. One day a couple of hikers happened across near where I was sitting. The scent was overwhelming but in this place, unlike in the streets, it was all too easy to remember my daughter, my Anne, whom I killed. Her horrified face filled my head, and I found I was able to resist the scent of the humans. With this new weapon, I ventured again to the human world. This time, I hoped to make a difference. I went to a university and studied medicine and then ended up here, in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1920.

Alice had been admitted here, a few years before for having 'premonitions'. Her mother was severely religious and felt that these 'visions and feelings about the future' were in fact works of the devil. She admitted Alice here, and left her, for good. Poor girl... She was so much like Anne when she first came here, so bubbly and full of life. This place was draining her of that life...as I drained Anne of hers. And then there was the tracker. What on earth was I to do about him?! He was a talented vampire, that much was clear. But what to do...? She was hardly safe here, weak, fragile and human...but would it be fair to damn her to a life as a vampire? Really...she didn't have much of a life as a human...and imagine the possibilities! Her power of foresight...magnified by the transformation to a vampire... She would be incredibly talented.

I left the office, and then the building all together. I made a circuit around the grounds but there was no fresh scent of the tracker. I remembered that first day, when I'd been out hunting and crossed the trackers scent...I followed it back to outside Alice's cell. He'd vanished instantly of course, but Alice had told me that she felt something was not right, and something was going to happen. At first, I didn't understand what he had wanted, and why he'd been here. But then I noticed, he kept coming to Alice's cell...Alice felt nervous...of course! He was after her! I kept a very close eye on her since. Patrolling the grounds regularly, and checking in on Alice much more. Alice, so much like the daughter I lost...it was almost like getting a second chance. I knew I could never kill Alice myself, but I also knew, I must do everything in my power, to protect her from anyone else.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: Escape**

Early that morning I went to check on Alice. I opened her door gently and sneaked through. She was fast asleep. I sat waiting in the dark room, listening to her gentle, rhythmic breathing. As I sat, I caught another scent, the scent of the tracker. I raised the black out blinds and looked put into the darkness to see him there. The tracker. Staring greedily at Alice, but backing away at my glare. Not in a way to make me think he was giving up, far from it. Just to make it clear he would await his chance. This was it. I would have to decide quickly. Alice just couldn't remain human so near to the tracker if she was to survive. Either way, she could no longer live... in that her heart's beats were limited. She deserved a chance of happiness... This wasn't a life...Why shouldn't the poor creature get a chance of a life? She could be happy...I could look after her...Make sure she doesn't do anything she'd regret. She'd be safe and away from the tracker. He's have no reason to go after her if she was a strong, new vampire... I was decided. I sneaked out of her room before she awoke. I would wait until after her drugs and shocks, she would be totally out then, it would be less painful...hopefully. I would take her and run away with her to the forest, where I was changed.

That afternoon, I entered the room immediately after she had received her treatment. I cradled her in my arms and ran at full speed. As a vampire, I was too fast for human eyes to follow my travel. I laid her on the floor of the forest. I wasn't totally sure about how to this. I resorted to recreating the wounds I had. I thought up the image of my daughter, to give me the strength to bite Alice, but not to feed. As my razor sharp teeth sank into her slender throat, her body tensed, but she made no other sound. I sat with her, patiently. I remembered the flames, the fire and pain of transformation...Alice looked as peaceful as in sleep... hopefully the drugs and shock treatment was still in effect. Day after day. In the early hours of the first day, as dawn was all around, she began to show signs of coming round.

"Alice?" I said softly. Her face moved slightly. "Alice, you are safe now. You're becoming a vampire. You're free now. You will be fine, I promise."

She was always a very pretty girl, and her skin always pale, but as I looked upon her now, it was breathtaking. Her black hair, cropped short, blew around her elfin face in the gentle breeze. She had a very elfin face, it was very complimentary to her appearance. Her features small and pixie-like, apart from her eyes. They were big and very pretty. Her peaches and cream skin was replaced, with alabaster white, diamond hard skin that was sparkling gently in the faint sunlight shimmering through the gaps in the leaves above. She was no longer fragile, but she still appeared it. She was thin in the extreme, and very short. She was like a little china doll. I had once thought her to be as fragile as a small doll, but now her porcelain skin was stronger than granite. She would be stronger than me when she awoke...Her body full of human blood, her own. I hummed a lullaby to her that I had once sung to my Anne. Alice's pixie face was contented as she lay there, not seeming to feel any pain at all. I heard a sound in the forest and looked up into the disappointed eyes of the tracker. That second, I knew Alice would be okay...But could the same be said for me? I could see it there, in is eyes. His anger, his thirst for revenge. I ran and ran. When I reached a small remote village, I fed. I hated to do it, but I needed to be as strong as possible if I was to face the tracker, which was inevitable. I tried to ignore my vision of my daughter, my conscience and my guilt as I prepared to fight, by becoming stronger with human blood.


End file.
